ST JAMES, Jamaica – Anguillan Hasani Hennis claimed the second stage of the Jamaica International Cycling Classic on Saturday to make it two wins in a row, earning another yellow jersey, while placing himself in pole position to walk away with top honours on Sunday’s final day.

Hennis tackled the toughest stage of the three-day classic over a gruelling almost 80-mile course from Whitter Village in Montego Bay to Duncans, Trelawny and back on Saturday.

Leaning on his vast experience and quick learning of local conditions, the cunning Anguillan pipped his Barbadian counterpart and fellow AVR Racing teammate, Edwin Sutherland a few metres from the finish. Briton John of Guyana took third place as he did on Friday following the first stage.

“We executed our plan very well. We captured all the field, then we closed back the gap and got ready for the sprint, and we did that very well. I’m super-proud of my team,” Hennis said.

The win places Hennis in a commanding lead as he goes into the third and final stage on Sunday with 50 points, followed by Akil Campbel from Trinidad and Tobago on 33 points, and Briton John on 24 points.

Head of Communications and Corporate Affairs at Digicel, a major sponsor of the Classic, Elon Parkinson, and chief organiser of the International Jamaica Cycling Classic, Carlton Simmonds, are both pleased with the intensity of the competition this year.

Guyanese Lyn Murray captured first place in the Masters category, ahead of Caymanian, Jerome Ameline, and Jamaican, Kirk Finnikin. The Masters leaderboard after stage two shows Finnikin ahead on 25 points, followed by Murray on 15, with Andy Texeira and Jerome Ameline tied on 12 each.